I've got my cards Graded, ...but now what?

RTB · January 30, 2004 5:20PM

Hi All,

I joined the PSA C.C. in mid December and I've had a flurry of activity since, learning about PSA and sending in 7 submissions. These were either for misc vintage cards that I'd like to sell or for my registered set (61 Fleer Bask, RTB). Now that the dust has settled, it's dawning on me that even with graded cards, I may be "behind the eight ball" if I try to sell on Ebay because I'm a new member with zero transactions in my feedback history. Is that the case with Ebay auctions? I'd much prefer to sell on my own insted of consignment because I have the time plus I'd save money and have fun in the process. Any suggestions on how to proceed? Do I have to do X amount of buys and sells to establish a history in order to get a decent number of bids on my nicer stuff?
Thanks,

Reggie

pandrews · January 30, 2004 5:57PM

<< <i>Hi All,

I joined the PSA C.C. in mid December and I've had a flurry of activity since, learning about PSA and sending in 7 submissions. These were either for misc vintage cards that I'd like to sell or for my registered set (61 Fleer Bask, RTB). Now that the dust has settled, it's dawning on me that even with graded cards, I may be "behind the eight ball" if I try to sell on Ebay because I'm a new member with zero transactions in my feedback history. Is that the case with Ebay auctions? I'd much prefer to sell on my own insted of consignment because I have the time plus I'd save money and have fun in the process. Any suggestions on how to proceed? Do I have to do X amount of buys and sells to establish a history in order to get a decent number of bids on my nicer stuff?
Thanks,

Reggie >>

good question.. I recommend making some purchases to build up at least 2 or 3 or 4 good feedbacks, but everybody has to start somewhere.. I started on ebay (of course with 0 feedback) and i started selling before I ever bought on ebay..

did my low feedback prevent me from getting top dollar on my stuff? maybe, i dunno, i was new.. you sound alot like me.. I prefer to sell on my own.. i have the time, and I LOVE dealin' in CARDS, even if I buy a card one day, and sell it the next day, I love messin' with cards.. heh..

very smart question from a new user!

whatever you do, good luck man!

34GoudeyCollector · January 30, 2004 6:55PM

RTB,
Like pandrews said, everyone starts at 0. Here's what I did: I started by buying cards I was interested and got my self built up to a 10-15 feedback. Once I did this, I started by selling lower dollar stuff, until I got built up to 40-50 or so feedback. Once I got to this point, I started with mid to high dollar stuff. My reasoning behind this was that with a very low feedback rating, I felt my mid to higher dollar stuff would take a wacking just because I was not "established" on EBay. This may or may not have been a fact, it's just how I felt (and still feel that way today).
I remember it being frustrating not having a feedback rating, but the time will go by quickly and you will be well on your way to selling! It sounds like you will be one of the sellers people love to buy from!

Ken

mariner · January 30, 2004 10:40PM

Sound advice from 34GoudeyCollector.

Welcome to PSA Land. It is fun to buy and sell on ebay. It does take time but you will enjoy it. Treat people right, provide great customer service, charge proper postage and insurance and communicate promptly. You will build a great rep in a hurry by doing those things. We all started at 0.

GoSoxBoSox · January 30, 2004 11:36PM

Run from the hobby while you still have a chance!!!!!!!

mrc32 · January 30, 2004 11:49PM

As long as you are not selling 52 Mantles or 68 Ryans, having zero feedback shouldn't hurt to much. People get suspious with sellers who have zero feedback and are selling high grade vintage superstars.

If you are selling some PSA 7 or 8 61 Fleer basketball, I don't think people will pay much attention to your lack of feedback. IMHO everyone has to start sometime.

But I'll echo GoSoxBoSox-- run like the wind!

aro13 · January 31, 2004 1:07AM

If you are selling some cards from 61-62 Fleer or nice stuff from pre-1970 you might want to put it on the vintage sportscard trading board. It will allow you to make some good contacts as while as sell your material.

ctsoxfan · January 31, 2004 1:16AM

I agree with a lot of the above statements. It does help a lot that you would be selling graded cards, since the buyer can at least trust that aspect of the sale. We all started off with 0 feedback, and I basically just didn't worry about it. Don't overcharge on shipping, and respond promptly to emails from buyers, and you'll be fine. Also, welcome to the boards!

Griffins · January 31, 2004 1:41AM

I"ll echo the above, and add that when you do start selling on ebay add paypal to your services- it gives buyers a piece of mind that they have the protection of their credit card company behind them, for whatever that is worth. Alternatives to selling on ebay are listing the cards for direct sale on the vintage sportscard trading board or emailing other registrants of the set in question.
Best of luck, and welcome to the boards!

34GoudeyCollector · January 31, 2004 2:23AM

Sounds like the best advice has come from Tom (GoSoxBoSox)!

Ken

Virtualizard · January 31, 2004 3:01AM

I have bought from and sold to zero feedback ebay members and never had a problem. If it is an item that I want, I'll take a chance. I would agree with others who said not to start off too big, though. Sell some cards that are valued at well under $100 first to build some feedback. Also, buy some cheap stuff to get your feedback started. If you are collecting cards, you will always be able to find something on ebay that interests you, no matter how rare or odd.

Good luck and welcome to the message boards!

JEB.

crsportscards33 · January 31, 2004 3:41AM

Welcome to the insane world of PSA.(the people not the cards) My opinion is this: start slow and work up. It's just like owning a card shop(albeit from your house). You have to establish a trust in the community, this case being ebay buyers. With a good feedback rating you can be quite successful on ebay. Understated though is the negative feedback. If I am buying, i look long and hard at someone with a subpar rating. In other words, just try to provide the best service possible. Good luck and again, welcome.

grilloj39 · January 31, 2004 3:42AM

Offer you lowest priced items first and at least building a decent feedback. Offer PayPal as well, it will give your customers the "piece of mind" of paying with a credit card. Finally provide good service. Your customers will come back and keep buying from you in the future.

goodriddance189 · January 31, 2004 4:34AM

if you start out selling graded cards on ebay, do 2 things

1. provide the PSA serial number in the auction description
2. provide a link to your registered set on the Registry.

these 2 things go a long way in providing a potential buyer piece of mind that you arent a fly-by-night operation with stolen scans, etc.

RTB · January 31, 2004 5:35AM

Thanks to all for the great advice! I signed up for paypal and I'll look for some things to buy on Ebay along with selling some lower valued items to begin with.

CW · January 31, 2004 5:30PM

Reggie--

Welcome to the messageboards! Good move signing up for paypal. The
higher ending prices you get will far outweigh the paypal fees. If I
could make one more suggestion on top of all the other great advice
you've already gotten, it would be to make sure you give buyers nice,
sharp scans to look at (especially with the higher priced cards).
Few things turn off potential buyers more than fuzzy scans or distant
digital photos. Good luck!

mariner · January 31, 2004 11:44PM

CW is absolutely right!!

Nothing will make or break your auction more than the scan of the card. It is truly amazing how bad some scans are of beautiful cards. I use Adobe Photoshop. It is expensive but well worth the investment if you are serious about selling cards over the long haul.

marty · February 1, 2004 12:01AM

Try to list at least 10 auctions. This will also build feedback quickly. Try to have the auctions have a thyme. Do not list 2004 cards and T206 cards at the same time. This will give buyers a feeling that you may have a larger inventory to sell. It will also may get some extra bids when they look to see what else you are selling. Watch out for reserves. There are many that will not place a bid on a reserve auction.

mariner · February 1, 2004 12:48AM

Marty is right....

Reserves kill an auction. The theme point is excellent too. For example, I may list 10 1959 Topps Yankees cards at the same time. One look at one card usually means the buyer will look at all the cards. I have also found that using the picture gallery helps too.

I've got my cards Graded, ...but now what?

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